Impossible, you say? No way. You may not be able to teach a toddler to spend money wisely, but you can make sure that the first lesson they learn about financial responsibility is saving. That, and not putting money in your mouth…

I’m a big believer in both of the major schools of teaching toddlers just about any behavior: playing and conditioning. So we’ve made saving money a game for Hayden—a game that we repeat every time he finds a coin.

Usually I try to give him a little savings “pep talk” after depositing his coins: piggy’s going to hold them for us so we can get something we want later. Of course he doesn’t understand delayed gratification or even what money is for, but his first experience with money is one of saving—and it’s a positive experience, too. It’s not a bad precedent to set.